Farmers share their bitter experiences: some of the berry and nut plantations did not survive
Following a long, cold winter and a protracted spring, some berry growers in the Utena district are facing this summer with some trepidation. On some farms, the frost has severely damaged berry bush seedlings and nut trees, so hopes for a good harvest this year have dimmed. Many berry growers in the district are already calculating their losses and hoping that the surviving plants will grow stronger and yield a harvest again in a year or two.
However, the winter was not equally harsh for all growers – whilst plants suffered severe damage in some areas, others managed to avoid major losses. To find out how this year’s winter has affected crops and what the harvest forecasts are, “Utenos diena” spoke to several farm and agricultural company owners.
You can’t avoid every incident
The agricultural company “Sveika uoga”, based in Ilčiukai (Užpaliai district), grows around 12,000 blueberry bushes. According to the company’s director, Darius Balionis, the severe winter contributed to the losses suffered across the four-hectare plot.
“Temperatures in Ilčiukai remained at minus 37 degrees for two days; both the blueberry blossoms and some of the branches were frostbitten. We have already removed some of them, and will have to prune a second time to remove what has now died off. Blueberries are hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees, but last winter’s cold spell lasted a long time. Up until now, we’ve usually suffered losses during the flowering period, but these were typically 10–30 per cent; this year, however, the losses are considerably greater. Ninety-nine per cent of the flowers were frost-damaged or fell off before they had even opened. One per cent of the harvest will be for our own use. This is an anomaly. I was prepared for a 50 per cent loss of the harvest, but I didn’t expect it to be this much,” – said the head of the agricultural company “Sveika uoga”, speaking about this season’s developments.
